2010 Die Kinder Húrins (Gert Heidenreich)

The Children of Húrin

Release Date: 2010.03.02
Reader: Gert Heidenreich
Language: German
Translators: Hans J. Schütz & Helmut W. Pesch
Organization: The Audio Publisher
Copyright: © + ℗ 2008 Der Hörverlag
ISBN: 9783867175524
Duration: 8 hours 3 minutes
Unabridged: Yes
Country: Germany
Licenced: Yes
Formats: CD, Digital

Heidenreich’s (see profile page) performance in Die Kinder Húrins is quite distinct from his reading of The Lord of the Rings. This story is a darker, more ancient legend, so his delivery shifted and the pacing becomes more deliberate. Heidenreich allows the silences and the heavy prose of the First Age to breathe.

He leans into the “Saga” quality of the text. His voice for Húrin’s defiance against Morgoth is thunderous, while his narration of Nienor’s grief is hushed and delicate. One of the most praised aspects of this 2010 recording is how he voices the Dark Lord. He doesn’t use “monster” effects; instead, he uses a cold, calculated, and terrifyingly calm intellectualism that makes the curse on Húrin’s family feel inevitable.